How to Make a Long Commute to Work Pleasant

Some people are fortunate to live within walking distance of their workplaces, or better yet, work from the comfort of their own home. You are not one of those people. Like you, millions of people, especially in the United States, have to drive to work and some are on the road every day for several hours. Bottleneck traffic and car accidents make these drives even more grueling. But there are some things you can do to maintain your sanity.

Things You'll Need

• Car stereo with a CD player
• Satellite car radio
• Audiobook CDs
• Music CDs
• Comedy CDs
• Ipod or mp3 player
• Line-in adapter
• FM transmitter

Instructions

1. Listen to your car radio. It will make time pass even faster if you find an interesting talk radio show. There are many popular entertainment shows that are nationally syndicated as well.

2. Install and listen to any of the dozens of channels available on Sirius Satellite or XM Satellite radio. Satellite radio offers a variety of music genre stations as well as talk radio shows, such as popular shock jock Howard Stern's, broadcast on a loop throughout the day.

3. Pop in a music or stand-up comedy CD in your car's CD player or listen to music or stand-up comedy on an iPod or other MP3 player. Sing along to your heart's content.

4. Listen to an audiobook, either on a CD or on an iPod or MP3 player. This is also a great way to brush up on your reading, especially if you need to study certain literature for a class.

5. Take a different route. Simply put, doing something out of the ordinary stimulates your brain. Driving through a different neighborhood or even one different street is beneficial every once in a while, and definitely wakes you up. Only do this if you are not in a hurry and if the new route doesn't lengthen your commute.

Tips & Warnings

• Satellite radio is not free. You will need to buy the equipment, which can be found at most electronic stores or online, and either install it yourself or have a store associate install it for you. You'll need to buy a subscription to the service through their websites.

• To listen to satellite radio or an iPod or other MP3 player, you'll also need a line-in adapter if your car stereo has the right jack for it or an FM transmitter, which you plug into your car's cigarette lighter. Tune your car's regular radio to a frequency that isn't used and set the same frequency on the adapter.

• Keep your eyes on the road. While multimedia can make your commute to and from work more pleasant, it should not distract you and prevent you from driving safely.